Sacrifice for Justice?
by cascadedkiwi
Summary: What happens when the acknowledged leader of the teen titans goes down for the count? will starfire give up the fight or...will she turn to the dark side? and will the titans be able to survive without a special member? rated t just in case
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Sacrifice for Justice?**

"Starfire....help.....me......"

Starfire watched in confusion and fear as Robin staggered slowly, weakly towards her. She could tell that he was in genuine pain and barely had the strength to hold himself up.

"Starfire...please...."

His voice sounded faint, as if he were miles away when shockingly he was only a few feet in front of her. It faded away as he began to fall towards the hard gravel pavement. In her eyes the moments played out in slow motion and time seemed to freeze. All around her, everything stoppped. Her friends stopped fighting, the people stopped screaming, everything ceased.

Robin took a final unbalanced step toward her and then began to fall. Starfire gasped in unbelief. As an act of impulse she flew over

and caught him just before hit the ground.

"Robin..."

She gingerly lifted his head and turned his face towards hers. Apprehensively she lifted him

by the shoulders and she hesistantly let go off his head. It fell back limply; just as she feared. Her pupils shook. She tried to hold back the tears as the other Teen Titans came running over.

"Slade got away," Cyborb said glumly.

Starfire shook her head slowly, not really paying attention.

"He didn't get what he was after though," Raven replied. "I made sure of that."

"No. Friends, you are wrong." Starfire hugged Robin's still body close to her. "I have a feeling that he got exactly what he was after."


	2. Chapter 2: A Scream in the Night

**-Back at Titan Tower-**

The titans rushed to get Robin to medical center in the tower. In a matter of moments they had hooked him up to numerous wires that were connected to various medical machines.

Starfire: "Will Friend Robin be.....ok?"

Cyborg: "I can't say, Starfire. I don't even know what's wrong with him."

Starfire: "But you must know!"

Beast Boy: "Maybe Raven should try to get inside his head or something."

Raven: "It's not that easy. Why don't you make yourself usefull and turn into an amoeba? Then _you _can go inside him and see what's wrong."

BB: "No way! I am NOT going there again!"

Starfire: "Friends please! Robin is hurt and maybe.....even......dying...."

A tear lid down down Starfire's cheek. She couldn't stand to see Robin like this. Still, cold, on a bed with no sign of life on his face. His skin pale, colorless. Barely breathing, no movement with his chest or any part of his body for that matter. The only reason she know his heart was beacause of the pulse test that Cyborg had just taken.

BB: "C'mon Star, Cy'll figure out what wrong with him, fix him and he'll be all better again."

Beast Boy turned onto a small kitten with adorably big eyes and rubbed up to Starfire's legs. Starfire smiled, picked him up, hugged him and stroked his fur.

Star: "Oh, thank you friend Beast Boy! I was in much need of the comforting."

Starfire walked out of the room carrying the kitten-shaped Beast Boy and Raven headed to her room for the night. Cyborg checked on all the machines, wires and other mechanisms that were hooked to Robin before headed to his room to recharge.

**-around 2:30 that morning-**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
IT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
IT HHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Starfire sat bolt upright in bed. The blood-curdling screams rang loud and clear in her head. She listened again, just to be sure it wasn't a dream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT HHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This time she was sure it wasn't a dream. She flew out of bed and down the hall; partially following the screams, partially following her own instincts, both that led her to the medical bay.

_Don't worry Robin, _Starfire thought anxiously, _I'm coming. Just hang on._

Starfire stopped short in front of the closed doors that led to the medical center of the tower. On the other side those doors lied her best friend, sick, possibly dying.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

_Stay calm Starfire, for friend Robin._

She slowly pushed open the doors and at what she saw let out a scream of her own.

* * *

Beast Boy groaned and rolled over- onto the floor.

"Owwww....." he moaned, rubbing his head. "What's with all the screaming?"

He wandered down the hall to the medical bay and reached his hand to open the down- only to find himself push air and fall flat on his sleepy face. He pushed his head up as Starfire screamed again.

BB: "Dude, Star, do you know what time it is? What's with all the-"

Starfire grabbed him off the floor and turned his head in the direction she was looking. In an instant the covered each other's mouths and screamed. The sight was unbelieveable.

* * *

**Well, please review. All constructive criticism will be accepted. no flames please. This is my first fanfic. Tell me what you think will happen next! I know there are great writers out there. Tell me your wonderful ideas!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3: Shoot Me

**Sorry for the long wait. I attempted to make it longer. Anyway, here it is, enjoy! ^^**

They slowly dropped their hands from each others' mouths. They were stunned, shocked at what they saw.

BB: *eyes wide* "Ok, I'm not your average-colored guy, because I'm green, but I pretty sure that color isn't normal.."

Star: "Oh friend Beast Boy, I do not think that this is normal at all. That is not one color, but two; and part of it is blinking."

BB: "Dude, my eyes are playing tricks on me. I could've swear that part was glowing!"

Star: "It _is _glowing!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The deafening scream resonated through the room. There was no doubt where it came from. On the bed there lay a screaming, shaking Robin whose skin was not one color, but two. It was so strange, yet so precise. You could draw a straight line down his entire body, from head to toe; and his left side would glow a dangerously bright red color and his right would be flashing orange with white orbs of light randomly glittering within it.

Starfire gasped and Beast Boy's mouth gaped. As Robin lay there screaming, shaking, flashing with dangerously strange colors, he was also doing something else that furthermore confirmed his illness. He was banging his hands on the bed, kicking and pulling at his hair like a some deranged child being attacked from the inside. He lifted his head up as high as he could then threw it back as hard as he could against the pillow-less bed. He did continually as if he was trying to severely hurt himself. He screamed again. Was it because of the original pain, or the pain he was causing himself?

Star: "Oh beast boy, why is friend Robin putting himself in such agony?"

BB: "He could be trying to distract himself from that pain by causing a new pain to combat the original pain."

Star:"But..oh, what can we do? We can't just leave him like this!"

Beast Boy looked around anxiously. "We have to get the others!" He ran to the cabinet opposite the entrance, pulled out a medium-sized plush pillow and handed it to Starfire.

Star: "Friend Beast boy, what are you-"

BB: "No time for questions! Next time he lifts up his head, put this under it. It'll soften his head impact when he brings it down."

Beast Boy ran out of the room and down the hall where the other two titans rooms were. He tried Cyborg first.

BB:*banging on the door* "CYBORG!!! CY!! C'MON OPEN UP!!! we have an EMERGENCY!!!!!! CCCCYYYYYBBOOORRRGGGGG!!!!!!"

He efforts seemed in vain. He tried again. "CCCYYYYYBBBBOOOOORRRRGGGGG!!!!!!! OPEN UP!!!!!!! GET UP!!!!!"

There was no other choice.

BB:"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Raven's gonna kill me."

He ran stealthily to her door and took a deep breath. _Just do it Beast Boy! Robin and Starfire are counting on you!_he urged himself. BAM! BAM! BAM! "Raven! Raven! RAAAVVEEEENNN!!!!!!! You can kill me later!! This is is a crisis situation!! RRAAVVEENNNN!!!!"

He ran back to Cyborg's room and banged on the door once more.

"Cyborg's gonna blow a fuse but there's no other choice."

He shifted into a Leptotyphlops carlae* and slithered under the tight space between Cyborg's door and the floor. As soon as he was an foot from the door he returned to his human form and his keen eyes went right to work.

"Cyborg.....c'mon wake up or turn on or whatever it is. Cyyyyyborg!"

He snooped around the room until he found Cyborg hooked up to his charger. He took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"CYBORG!! YOU NEED TO GET UP RIGHT NOW!! ROBIN IS FREAKING OUT AND YOU NEED TO GET UP!! CYBOOOOOOOORRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!"

In desperation he began pushing random buttons and experimenting with wires, hoping and praying something would get Cyborg to wake up. Lights flashed, things fell and electricity cackled; still Beast boy pressed on. He pulled out wire after wire, dodging the sparks the flew as a result of his random and desperate wire hacking. He flipped switches and continued in his attempt to figure out how this techno-world worked until he heard a loud crashing sound, like a huge lightning storm attacking some poor person covered in metal.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!" Cyborg yelled as he was hit with a sudden jolt of electricity. It took himself a few seconds to catch himself but when he did, "Beast Boy! What are you doing in my room?! What- what- what did YOU DO?!!!!"

Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief. "No time for that now Cy! Robin's in trouble!"

**_(Author's note: Leptotyphlops carlae is the world's smallest snake.)_**

* * *

Meanwhile, in the med room....

Star: "Oh friend Beast Boy, I hope you are right about this."

She crept up to the left of the bed where Robin thrashed about like a demon-possessed child. She inched the pillow closer and closer until finally, he unknowingly lifted his head high enough for her to slip the pillow underneath it. Sure enough, just as Beast Boy said, when he brought his head back down, there was no sickening thud to follow. She sighed with relief. This was one way she could keep him from injuring himself as much as he seemed to desired to.

She really couldn't stand to see him like this. She walked around the bed to where she could hold his arms down from above his head. She tried to hold him down but every time her hands raised above his, he scratched at them like some angry demon cat. She gasped.

_Robin would not be attacking me on purpose, would he? _she questioned herself. She eased around to the foot of the bed and tried to grab hold of his flailing feet. Each time she reached in, she came closer and closer to being kicked- hard.

"Robin, please, be calming down now. I really wish that you woul- AHHH!!!" As an act impulse she thrust her wrists forward and fired a starbolt. It hit Robin right below his chest. Why? While she was talking Robin had kicked her right upper arm. It was so sudden, she had no time to think, so she just did what came naturally.

She immediately snapped her hand back. "Oh Robin, my most sincere of apologies. I didn't-" She stopped short. She couldn't believe her eyes or ears. It was faint, the voice. It was barely seen, the figure. She could almost swear she saw a silhouette of Robin, the Robin she so dearly loved.

She suddenly found herself in pitch black, she could see nothing. She glanced around. "Ro-Robin..?" she forced out shakily. She didn't receive the response she probably was hoping for. She found herself reminiscing, about the times they shared "moments". Times they spent together. Fighting bad guys, talking to each other and the _kisses_. They were rare but true.

A light flickered before her. A little bluish-white light, almost like the flame of a small candle. It bounced around her head, as if trying to get her attention before leading her to corner in the black, empty space. She followed out of curiosity, taking the precaution to fly instead of walk; just in case something went wrong with the floor. She had seen enough movies.

The light wavered a bit then slowly went out; being replaced with a ghostly form appearing out of nowhere right before her eyes. She gasped and jumped a little, before she realized what, or should I say _who _it was. She gave a little scream of glee.

"Oh Robin!" she exclaimed. "Are you okay? I was so worried about you. I-" She stopped short as she realized that the figure's face showed almost no emotion. It looked at her blankly, tilting its head first to the left, then to the right.

"Again," the voice whispered. It was Robin's, but not the one she knew and loved. This voice was emotionless, like the way Raven would reply to something. Starfire was confused.

"Could you...speak up...pl-please?" she stammered, almost afraid to ask.

"Do it again," he replied, walking up to be face to face with her. Starfire set her feet down and looked into his face. Was this really Robin? What did he want her to do? Again? She was stuck.

"What...do you want me...to do....again?" she asked.

"Shoot me." The reply was so unexpected but so blank. No emotion. Not serious, not commanding, not anything.

"Pardon?" Starfire stood there stunned. _Did Robin just really ask me to shoot him? And why did he say again?_

"Shoot me again, with your starbolts." The voice didn't change. "You want to help me, don't you? You want it to end. My pain, my agony, you want it all to cease. You want me to stop hurting myself, for everything that's wrong with me not to be."

"Yes but-"

"Then shoot me. You may not have noticed but when you blasted me, the pain momentarily left my body. I know it didn't seem so but for a split second, I felt relief."

The Tamaranian princess stopped and stared once more. _He wishes for me to harm him. But Why? Could it be that friend Beast Boy was right? That he wishes for some pain to combat the pain he already has. _She thought a little while longer.

The figure made no attempt to speak anymore. It just stood there looking, watching, waiting for her response. Not to Starfire, but it was obvious that the figure wanted Starfire's help.

Starfire looked up. "Ok," she said. "I will do as you wish."

For the first time since their encounter, the figure showed emotion. It seemed pleasantly surprised. The two looked at one another, each startled at the other's sudden interest. Starfire turned to leave, then looked back at the figure one more time. The pleasantly surprised look remained unchanged on its familiar face. She let out a relieved breath, turned and began to walk away.

After about 7 steps she was stopped by a familiar hand on her shoulder. "oh and...Starfire," the voice had changed. It was no longer emotionless and blank. This was the first time it had addressed her by her name. Undoubtedly, she knew what had happened, she was know positive of who it was. None other than...

"Robin!" Starfire exclaimed with glee. She spun on her heel and beamed. She embraced him and said nothing furthur.

He laughed. "Thank you." he whispered and smiled back. She released him and gave him a reassuring look. He returned it and then faded away.

Starfire found herself back in the med room standing and the edge of the bed, Robin screaming and flailing just as she had supposeably left him. Her hands glowed with green illuminated energy and her eyes mirrored them. _For Robin! _she told herself. In an instant, she began firing starbolt after starbolt after starbolt. She rained down the greatest concentrated force of pain she had ever generated in her life. _Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop no matter what!_ she chanted over and over. She flew up above him and continued the onslaught. She didn't dare stop even for a second, knowing that she may not be able to start again.

Just then, The door burst open. Beast Boy and Cyborg flew in and screeched to a halt. They both were thinking the exact same thing.

* * *

"Oh. My. Gosh. WHAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

**Well, thanks for reading. Please review and give your ideas!! Bye for now! ^^**

* * *


	4. Chapter 4: Raven's Help

**Here we go! Chapter 4 and counting.....**

* * *

Cyborg and Beast Boy stared as they watched Starfire attack Robin relentlessly. It seemed to them that she had gone completely psycho. Beast Boy gaped.

Cy: Starfire! What are you doing?! Can you hear me?! Stop attacking Robin! Why are you attacking him anyway?!

Starfire heared her friend's calls but forced herself to continue her onslaught. She couldn't stop. She didn't answer. She knew if she did, she would stop. _I am sorry friends. I cannot speak with you now. Robin needs me more and I must do as he wishes. I must not stop! For I fear if I do, I may not be able to start again._

BB: Wait Cy! I think she may be.....helping....him....

Cy: Helping him?! What are you talking about man? We can both see that she's hurting him!!!

BB: Well...let's see how I can put this. She's helping him by hurting him.

CY: *question marks around his head, eyes wide*

BB: Long story, but look, your the smart guy here, fix him! She can't keep that up forever!

Cy: Ok, Ok, just uh....

Cyborg scrambled around, trying to gather his thoughts and his equipment. Whether Beast Boy was right or not, he knew one thing; Robin needed help and he was probably the-

BB: Cyboooooooorg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beast boy yelled at the top of his voice, breaking Cyborg's train of thought. They both scrambled around, Cyborg for his materials and beast boy- well, for whatever he thought would help the situation. Starfire continued her onslaught and Robin continued shaking violently. _At least he stopped screaming,_ the three thought simultaneously.

* * *

Meanwhile....

Raven turned over in bed and rubbed her eyes. She looked around her room. It wasn't completely dark but it wasn't exactly bright either. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand. She sighed. "Unbelievable." She pulled off her covers and turned to sit up on the side of her bed facing the glass wall of her room. She looked out over the sea. The sky showing mutiple hues of purples and blues. Her rooom seemed quiet, but something just didn't feel right. She could almost feel that something was very, very wrong. She stared out at the sky, a perfect view of everything. She slowly rested her feet on the floor before walking over to her closet and putting on her cape. She looked out at the sea once more before sauntering out her door and down the hall.

_A drink of water should clear my head, _she thought abnormally. It was unusal for her to feel as uneasy as this so early in the morning. She opened the fridge door and cringed as the light flared in her eyes. After catching herself, she poured herself a glass of water and was about to close the fridge when-

"CCCCCCCCCCCYYYYYYYYYBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Beast boy's rang out loud and clear through the room.

* * *

"Excellent" A voice gave a small evil chuckle. "Soon, so very soon. The Teen Titans will face the biggest challenge they've ever experienced in their worthless lives."

"With Robin out of the way, ha! Those Titans won't know what hit 'em!" A small, childish voice giggled.

"Watch your excitement, young one. You still have much to learn." The older male figure walked over to a computer and began tapping buttons.

"Aww, ok." Small footsteps sounded as the young child walked away to stay out the way.

* * *

"What's going on?" Raven rested the cup half-filled with water on the counter ran lightly over to where she heard the sound come from. "Robin!...and Cyborg..and...Starfire...and Beast Boy?!" Raven shot for the medical room. _This is bad,_she thought to herself. She had sensed that something was wrong when they had first came back to the tower, but then she had just shook it off as a notion. Now, she doubted that that had been a wise decision.

* * *

Beast Boy ran for the door.

"Where are you going!" Cyborg exclaimed amidst the tangle of wires and electrical medical equipment.

"I gotta go get Raven! We need all the help will can get!" He shouted in reply while pushing the door open.

"But Raven's gonna KILL YOU!" Cyborg yelled after him.

"It doesn't matter!" Beast Boy shouted in reply without looking back as he raced down the hall. This situation was getting worse and worse and there was little that either of them felt they could do to help it.

* * *

Beast Boy running....

Raven levatating.....

Beast Boy...

Raven....

Beast Boy.....

Raven.....

Beast Boy........

Raven.......

***CRASH!!***

Both speaking:

"What are you doing here!"

"Me, I was looking for you!"

"What!"

"Ok!" Raven shouted. "What's going on?!!!"

"Ummm," Beast Boy scrambled for words. "Long story short Starfire is blasting Robin to help him stop feeling pain, its working annnnnnnnnnd Cyborg is doing his techno thingy to try to find out what's wrong and how to fix him."

"Wait, Starfire is _attacking _Robin? How is that helping him and-"

Beast boy cut her off. "No time, we have to get to the medical bay RIGHT NOW," He turned and headed in that direction, motioning for Raven to follow him.

Both ran down the hall at full speed and burst through the door. Raven gasped.

"Starfire, what are you-"

Beast boy whipped around. "No time!" he shouted. "c'mon, we gotta help 'em. Cy, Raven's here. Whadda you want us to do?"

"Oh, man!" Cyborg exclaimed amidst a tangle of flashing lights, loud sirens, and electrical wires. "Raven, do you think you could commmunicate with Star somehow? Maybe some kind of mental message or something?" He reconnected a series of jacks to the main machine and tapped an unknown amount of buttons with functions inconceivable to the other Titans at the time.

"I've never really done anything like that before, but I can try..." Raven answered, folding her her legs and levating to meditate.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos." Raven chanted, clearing her head of all that was going on around her. She centered her focus and achieved her goal, a straight mental path to Starfire's conscience.

* * *

"Starfire," Raven called. "Starfire, can you hear me?"

She floated in a black empty space, moving swiftly but seemingly going nowhere. She looked around. "Star...fire?" She called uneasily. She saw something levatating in the distance. She moved over towards the flickering green light that seemed to slowly edge closer and closer yet further and further away at the same time. Maybe it wasn't moving at all. She learned quickly not to try to figure it out. There were more important things at hand. She and the green light neared and she saw what-er-who, it was.

"Starfire!" Raven exclaimed as the glowing green girl turned a worried face to approach her. She was genuinely sad and tears were welded up in her eyes; she refused to let them fall. "What's wrong? Why are you attacking Robin? Beast Boy's out there doing what he can but please let me no what happening."

Starfire turned a face full of emotion to respond to Raven's inquiry. A face that said, 'I don't want to hurt him, but it's what's best for him.' She told her about the strange message Robin gave her. "He said it would help him," she finished. "I do not know how much longer my body can inflict such pain on a friend," she confessed sadly.

"Don't worry," Raven said, placing a hand on Starfire's glowing shoulder. "We'll find out what's wrong with him...and fix it."_ I'll find out whose behind it too. There's no way this pain is natural, _Raven thought to herself.

The glowing Starfire shrunk away, leaving Raven to return to her body in the hectic medical center. There wasn't much time left. She had a strange feeling that something really terrible was going to happen if they didn't cure Robin soon. There was only one other choice she could fathom to find a cure...

* * *

**Sorry to keep you guys SOOOOO LONG. I know. I know, it shouldn't take THAT long. I've been really busy with a new school and all that so please, don't cut me off. **


	5. Chapter 5: Dark Insight

**Here we go! Chapter 5! I'm sooooo sorry I took so long to put it up! If you have questions or ideas of what's going on, or what you think will happen next, feel free to let me know! I'm open! **

**Now...Enjoy!! We begin in a dark place...**

* * *

"Master, what can I do to help with the destruction of the Titans?" The young child watched earnestly as the older male reviewed his videos of the struggling Titans, all working, trying their hardest to save their powerless leader. "They look like they're ready to die now."

"You have an infant's sinister mind, apprentice. Our goal is not to destroy them," He paused as the child grew wide-eyed with slight confusion. He sensed this and continued. "Our goal is not to destroy them," he repeated in a patient voice. "But to separate them, to severe their bonds. Do you understand, child?" He turned to his still dumbfounded apprentice and sighed. "Robin is their leader," he said slowly. "And without their leader..."

"The Titans would eventually fall apart!" The child smiled eagerly but then her smile faded a bit. "But wait," she inquired hesitantly. "Didn't the villain called Slade do this before? He took Robin as his apprentice and turned him on them threatening their lives and-"

"Yes, yes. I know the story. Slade was incompetent. The other Titans figured out his plan and besides, I observed from the shadows that the one called Raven took charge when they were contemplating his transformation." One of the multiple screens zoomed in on the gray-skinned, short purple-haired Titan mediating in the hectic med room of the Titan Tower._ She, I must keep keen surveillance on. _He looked over his tapes again, thinking carefully. _Certainly, she may prove herself a threat to my plans... She looks strangely familiar, the powers she possess, the way she looks over things. She is already suspicious. She knows the ailment is not natural. No matter. She will prove herself, unknowingly, soon. Sooner, than she could even imagine._

"But if Slade was so incompetent," she inquired. "Why did you adopt his idea? Or, half...of it?"

"Slade's idea proved a bridge between success and failure," he answered. "Because he was not in pursuit of the Titans' destruction, but merely of Robin as an accomplice, he failed. But his failure was not a complete one. For him, it was; but for me, it was merely a bridge to a plan of mine." He paused and looked at his young apprentice, who was all ears for whatever he had to say. He watched her, deep color-changing eyes, dark, short hair, and midnight-blue clothing.

All this time the restless but conservative apprentice stood by, watching her master as he sorted through what she saw as ingenious plans. She was eager to follow in his footsteps, to become as great a villain as he was. Well, correct that. Her master wasn't exactly a villain but he wasn't a good guy either. She never wanted to be a villain herself but she was never a fan of being a good guy either. She considered herself and her master to be in-between. His intentions always remained veiled from her sight until the very end of their execution, but she was fine with that. That only made him more "idol-worthy" in her sight. There were other undisclosed factors as well...

"Child," her master summoned. "Come look at this picture. Tell me what you see."

Obediently she walked over and viewed the photo he held between his first two fingers and his thumb. She scrutinized it, then with a look of sheer confusion replied, "I see nothing, master. It's utter darkness, black."

"You are right. It is black." He shifted the picture so that that it lay flat on his left palm. It illuminated, a tropical color, amazing bright but beautifully contained and controlled in the outline of his palm. She watched, amazed and awed.

"Look at it again," he said mysteriously. "Tell me what you see."

Having no clue what he was getting at, she did as she was told and looked again. At first she saw black again, the same as before; but then her eyes widened sharply, mirroring the color of her master's glowing palm which shone through the picture. A strong wind blew through her hair the room flashed with the great tropical green light and...

* * *

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Raven unfolded her legs, set both her feet on the floor and watched as the others worked tirelessly to help Robin. Starfire was blasting him with all her might, even resorting to run him up and down every one in a while with the straight flow of energy that blasted from her eyes- fueled by her burning desire to free Robin of his torment. Cyborg had put him in the strongest available restraints, pinning him to the bed. He had also hooked him up to a series of small wires that distributed small, short, controlled bolts of electricity to different parts of his body- closely evening out the pain distribution throughout his body. Poor Beast Boy was just doing whatever Cyborg told him to: pushing buttons, switching wires, helping Starfire when she took her rare 2-minute breaks- who knew he could be so helpful?

This wasn't right, nothing was working. Robin was hurting and hey were doing all they could to help, but she knew it was no good. She wouldn't tell them that, though. She wanted to kill this virus at the root. There was no way she going to stand by and let this happen. She turned for the door. Beast Boy ran up to her.

"Raven, where're you going? We need you! We need your help!" Beast Boy motioned back to to the others who were all trying relentlessly to help and to figure out what the problem was. Then, he noticed something he hadn't before. His right side, which glowed the bright orange color with the glittering orbs, it looked strangely familiar. He nudged Raven. "Hey, check it out."

Raven looked and he walked her carefully over to the right side of the bed. "Doesn't that look familiar?" She looked over Robin, the bed, taking in every detail of this never-before-seen phenomenon.

"What are you talking about, Beast Boy?" She asked. "There's nothing familiar about a person glowing to different colors with unknown causes of severe pain and such," she commented, becoming slightly annoyed. She had no idea what Beast Boy was getting at and time was wasting. She turned to leave again.

"Raven," Beast Boy called, holding her back. "Look just at the right side of his body." He pointed, moving his hand up and down the span of the area in question. She sighed. "Beast Boy, there's no time for this-" Beast Boy cut her off.

"Looooook," he said in whistling wind of a voice. "It's just like that glowy thing Slade did when he had Robin working for him, with the probe thingies. You see it, don't you?"

"See wh-" Raven started to say but stopped herself. Although she had her mind on other things, something Beast Boy said had jolted her memory box. _Glowy thingy. _She remembered. The time when Slade had threatened to end their lives unless Robin did as he said. He had directly infected himself with the probes Slade used, forcing Slade to let them go. Afterwards, they had cleansed themselves of the probes and went on with their lives. _But it can't be the probes again, _she thought to herself. _Cyborg took care of those. He made sure of it, we all did._ She glanced over at the half-metal teen. She thought slowly and carefully._ But what if... _She trailed off in thought, trying to shut out the unavoidable thought. To her psn, the thought forced its way across her mind. _What if Robin hadn' ben completely rid of the probes? He was the only one of us who directly infected himself with the probes at his own expense. aybe he wasn't competely cleasned. Maybe they were just weakened or laid dormant until this time. But i__f it is the probes again,_ w_hy would Slade go after Robin? He already failed once before,and Slade isn't one t go over failed schemes._ She stopped. _If he wants him as an apprentice so badly, and coupled with the fact that their practically mortal enemies... _She processed all this together, letting the thought trail off as she tried to figure out what was going on. Nothing was making sense. This didn't seem like something Slade would do, but at the same time he was the only one she could connect "half" of the blame to. Everything was half and half: Robin's colors, mental messages, this whole thing was getting way out of hand. She had to start somewhere, she needed to know the base of this whole situation. She gave Beast Boy a knowing look, then went to her room to think.

* * *

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The young girl sat on the floor, calming herself from the preceding events. Her eyes were still the same color, only they had cooled to a softer tropical green than that of the flash. She opened her mouth to speak but took a deep breath instead. She Still couldn't believe what she just saw. It was astounding, even for her master, and he was the one who had shown it to her!

"I...I still don't understand completely, master," She finally managed to voice. "What did you to their leader? If what you showed me was really...true..." She said the last word hesitantly, for fear of his thinking that she was accusing him of lying. He didn't seem to respond so she continued. "Why do you want to kill Robin, and how did his illness come about? Part of it was adoption and adaption of Slade's probes, that, I have managed to collect. As far as his other tortures and torments go," she said sincerely. "I remain in the dark, master. Forgive my slowness of mind." She waited silently for her master to reprimand her or scold her for her lack of understanding. He did neither.

He turned from his work and walked over to where she sat on the floor. He placed his hand on her head and she looked up, bracing herself for come-what-may. He got down on one knee, almost level with her face, and instinctively she looked him in the face out of respect. He nodded solemnly and got up, removing his hand from her hand and offering it to help her up. She accepted and followed him over to his desk that was separated from the computer counter. He sat down in the one chair, propped his elbows on the desk, linked his hands together and gathered his thoughts.

"I do not wish to kill Robin. I only wish to severely weaken his leadership status along with his spirit. His physical as well." He sensed his apprentice's growing need for clearer explanation, he searched his thoughts for a suitable solution. He didn't in the least blame her for not understanding his motives. She hardly ever questioned him. Because of this, he partially wanted her to at least have a clear idea of what was going on.

"Forgive me master..." she began hesitantly, watching all the while with eagle eyes for the slightest sign of impatience or anger. There seemed to be none. She figured this was for one of two reasons: 1. Her master was extremely good at hiding his emotions (he rarely showed them for reasons unknown to her); or 2. Her master understood her lack of comprehension and was not getting impatient or angry with her/he saw it as perfectly natural. She shook her head and laughed at herself at this thought. _If there was any way that was the case, _she thought to herself with a hidden smile then shook her head again. _Master is way too superior for those likes._ She looked across at her master with childish admiration and gained a mustard seed of confidence.

At this time her master looked up from where he had been statued for the last few minutes. Something struck him as odd about the way the child looked up to him with no doubts of his doings. _Most apprentices, _he thought silently as he inconspicuously eyed the submissive girl. _No matter how obedient or devoted they are, they always have some doubts on their superior's intentions_. He looked over at her_. But she is quite the opposite. She questions nothing, no matter how veiled or mysterious my plans are. This is the closest she has ever come to speaking out of turn or any such thing. I admire her for that. She is a most valuable follower, she will be great someday- if she continues this pattern. But_, he thought sharply, bringing himself back_. Back to the matter at hand. I will not explain from the beginning, this is not time for that. But she must understand our objective- _

"E-Excuse my intrusion on your thoughts master," the young girl timidly broke his train of thought. He looked up at her with his unemotional eyes. Unlike the eyes of the average villan, he had golden eyes with pitch-black pupils. These showed hardly ever no emotion, save reflecting the eyes of a great horned owl- peering deep into your soul and not caring what was there. Strangely, it was these very same eyes that gave the girl confidence. She continued, more firmly this time, "Master, I wish to have a full explanation of your endeavour concerning the Teen Titans. I am fully able and willing to help in any way I can but I require a full understanding of your plot." She bowed low, as if presenting herself for the first time to a prospective employer. She looked up. "If you wish," she continued formally. "I will, to the best of my ability,present my full understanding of the matter so tha you may not have to waste your going over content already known and understood." She straightened herself out, gracefully.

Her master turned to notice that a change had come over his young apprentice. She was no longer the short, spiky-haired, timid but conservative, eager apprentice he had adopted almost a year ago. She had changed into one much more...elegant. She was now taller, slim, cream-chocolate skin with hazel-amber eyes. Her clothing consisted of a metallic midnight-blue, short-sleeved halter-top layered over a skin-tight jet black shirt, a matching long wide-legged pants with metallic black knee-high boots. On her sleek hands she sported metallic-blue open-fingered gloves with a shiny black metallic bracelet with retractable spikes- retracted to current dull bumps at the times. She smiled in an evil but humble way. He smiled back.

* * *

Cyborg glanced over at Starfire. The determined alien girl was pushing herself, using the last of her strength to hurl starbolts at their broken leader. He could see she was tired, a normal person would've given in by now, he thought. He wanted to tell her to stop, to at letake a break before she knocked herself out. Stressing her body like that wasn't good...even for someone fueled by love. Hoping half-heartedly for some solution to their dilema, he turned his computer and began to research "half" of Robin's symptoms, the color-changing half. Color-changing? He whirled aroun sharply. Sure enough, the left side of his body that had been formerly dangerously red, was now shifting colors: red, orange, green, blue, purple, and back to red again, sometimes pausing for minutes that seemed like hours between blue and purple. _Oh no,_ he thought hastily._ This thing is getting out of control! at this rate Robin's gonna lose all feeling in his-_

ROOOOOBBBIIIINNN!!!!!!!!! Starfire screamed as she fell to the ground at the foot of the bed where Robin lay gritting his teeth pain, tearing vainly at the sheets beneath his hands. Beast Boy ran over to her.

"Star, are you okay?" He shifted into a fluffy fox and propped her head on his side and wagged his bushy tail up and down her aching arms. He whimpered sofly.

"Robin," Starfire murmured weakly. "My most sincere of apologies. I do not have the strength to continue hurting you, even as it is your wish." Her eyes closed slowly and her body sank into the green fox's fur. Cyborg came over and gently picked her up.

"I'll take her to her room," he said sullenly. "She's done all she can for now, and this hurts her more than anyone." He looked over at the suffering teen growling with self-muffled screams in pain. Beast Boy nodded and returned to his human form, watching as cyborg left and wordlessly let him know that he would stay there.

* * *

Cyborg looked down at tired face of the Tameranean princess he held in his arms as he walked her to her room. He sighed as he opened her door, walked in, and rested her in her bed. He covered her up to her chest and stood there for a moment. "You did the best you could for now, Star," he told the silent girl before heading out of the room. The door came to a slient close behind him and he clenched his fists. He thought of how Starfire had spent the past few hours hurling starbolts nonstop at their ailing leader. He clenched he fists even tighter_. I promise you_, he vowed as he passed Raven's room on his way back to the med center_. I'll do all in my power to find out what's wrong with Robin and cure him. And when we find out who's responsible...THEY'LL PAY!!" _

* * *

**Wow! That's the longest chapter I've ever written! Please read & review. Again, sorry I took so long to put it up! I didn't mean to! Please don't cut me off! I didn't do it on purpose!!!! Please accept my apologies.. **

**Until next time!! ~^^~**


	6. Chapter 6: Visions and An Intruder

**Before I do anything, I just have to thank all of you who took the time to read and review. It's really encouraging. Special thanks goes to moon-destroyer and V2113 for your awesome ideas that have inspired future chapters in the story. You guys are a big help- keep 'em coming! **

**And now on with our story...**

A teenage girl emerged from the shadows of a dark alley. The sun was nearly set, and its last gleaming rays disappearing over the horizon. She admired this sight out of the coner of her eye as she walked silently down the street. She replayed her master's summarized instructions over in her mind to be sure she didn't forget them. Although she had changed in appearance and demeanor, in response to her master's hidden wish for it, she was still the same eager to please girl she had arrived as- and in the back of her mind she prodded herself not to mess up. In short, her master wanted her to:

1) Infiltrate Titans Tower  
2) Talk to the Titans  
3) Pay close attention to their strengths and weaknesses  
4) Watch out for Raven

Well, all of that wasn't exactly what he said. Most of it was just part of one command broken down, but that's the way she recalled it. Not too far off, she guessed. The main thing was to focus on Raven, she was in primary interest of her master for yet another unknown reason.

* * *

-In Starfire's room-

Starfire twisted and turned uncomfortably under her covers. "Robin, oh, Robin I'm-" she murmured in her sleep, sometimes grabbing at the air above her or her purple pillowcase. You could tell she was having a bad dream, or was it? Her mind faded out black and a new vision started to form. She heard a voice, soft, distant, whispery, calling her name. "Starfire, Stafire." She found herself looking around in the darkness, her emerald green eyes illuminating brightly making her seem like a bright green firefly from far away. Where was it coming from? Who was calling her?

"Don't try too hard to look for me, I"ll come to you." The voice was low and thinly laced with concern. Starfire stayed still, but didn't stop looking for the source of the mysterious voice. Suddenly, two white lights flashed before her like eyes as the silouette of a black bird glided towards her. The shadow landed to her left and merged into the dark, familiar form of her fellow titan, Raven. She exhaled and small sigh of relief. "Oh, Friend Raven, thank goodness it's only you... Why are you here?"

The shadowed figure opened monotonely concerned eyes to face the alien princess that hovered before her. "I know you've worked really hard to help Robin- you've worked the hardest out of all of us." Starfire's eyes widened. "I must tell you though," she said carefully, "You must prepare yourself." The questions radiated from her face in the darkness. "Prepare myself? For what?" Raven's voice traveled on a whispered train whose tracks ended in her ear, as if she was right beside her instead of a few feet away shrouded in darkness. "You're going to have to make a very difficult decision. You must choose wisely and take the utmost care in deciding on your final answer. The fate something very important and dear lies on this choice. Be prepared..." With that the dark girl faded into the shadows and her "raven" flew into Starfire's forehead- exiting her mind.

* * *

The girl stood on the city's edge, her jet black hair blowing in the breeze behind her. "So this is where the Titans live, huh?" She gazed at the large T-shaped building that stood alone on the small rock island about half a mile from where she stood. She lept into the air. "The island's kinda bland," she commented as she surveyed from her bird's eye view. She giggled and twirled. As she did, a dark blue diamond-shaped force-field formed around her. She then dove for the island like a comet. Just before she was about to crash like a comet as well, the diamond spun very quickly. It acted as sort of a hoverboard, lowering her gently to the ground. As her feet touched down, the diamond dispersed into a burst of sparkles. _Master was right! _she thought. _I do have powers! For give me for doubting you, Master. Though, it was more of a doubt in myself than in what you said._ She replayed the conversation she had had with him the night before:

"How will I get to the island on which lies Titan tower?" she had asked.

"Simple," her master had replied. "You will jump."

At that moment the short spiky hair returned. "Jump? Master, with all due respect, I can't jump that far! I don't have any powers except for what you've seen with my eyes."

"Yes," he replied, as calm and collective as ever. "_You _don't, but _she _does. I don't know exactly but it seems your split personality, or older self, harnesses your hidden abilities. Trust her and she will guide you there."

And so she had went. The diamond shield she had generated had been so generous as to seemingly operate itself so that she wouldn't see herself plummeting to the ground.

She skipped to the base of the tower. "Well," she said she looked around. "Time to get to work. Master, I hope to make you very proud." She thought about what she said. _Not proud, _she thought, seeing as he normally showed no emotion. _But I hope I do a good job and that you are pleased with my accomplishments. _With that she went into the diamond shield again and passed through the steel doors of Titan Tower.

Infiltrate Titan Tower: check.

Once inside, she perched in a corner and looked around. Not a Titan in sight. _They're all off trying to help poor Robin, _she thought. She smirked to herself. _Little do they know, only my master can free Robin from his torment. _She hopped down nimbly from her perch. "Now to talk to the Titans," she said upon landing. "Who's first?" She went off in search.

* * *

-Back in Starfire's room (still in her vision)-

"Starfire! Starfire!" A closer, more familiar voice called for her. She looked around, but could see nothing in the green-tinted darkness. "Who are you? Please, who is calling me?" she flew around a bit, hoping to near wherever the voice was coming from. "Starfire." The voice was closer now, right beside her. She looked about swiftly, darting here and there, searching relentlessly for the voice which called for her so...meaningfully. "Star, I'm here. Why can't you see me, Starfire?" Starfire gasped. She felt that she knew who it was, but she was too afraid to be sure. _Listen to your heart, _a small voice told her. She decided to take a chance. "Ro-Robin?" She called out hesitantly. For a moment there was no answer. She called again, a little louder this time. "Is it really you?" Again no answer.

"Do you want it to be?" came a sudden and strange new voice. Starfire whirled around and charged her starbolts. "Who are are you? Show yourself!" A small gasp sounded and she could hear tiny footsteps running away from her. Small laughter echoed afterward. She was about to pursue the stranger when-

"Starfire!" a voice called out to her, softly but surely. She whipped around. "Are you ok?" The ghostly Boy Wonder had returned.

Her starbolts faded. "Robin? Oh, Robin, I am most deeply sorry that I could not fulfill your wish any longer. I-"

Robin smiled and shook his head. "Starfire, I wanted to thank for working so hard to help me." Starfire's pupils shook and her eyes glistened with tears as she gazed at the spirited teen before her. "I never thought that you'd go on that long. I know this must be really hard for you but I wanted to show you that I, well, I appreciate what you -and all the other Titans- are doing to help me."

Staarfire reached out to hug Robin but stopped. "What is happening to you?" she asked. "Will you...be okay?"

The spirited teen looked down, away from her emotional eyes. "I don't know, Star. I don't even- gwaahh!" He grabbed his head as his face became distorted. Again that same laughter sounded from before.

"Robin!"

Robin twisted and turned, as if fighting some intense battle within himself. "Help me, Starfire! Help me!" Robin cried out, his voice choked, his body was all out of proportion. Starfire reached out to help him but each time she got close to him, he seemed to move away from her.

"Ro- Robin? Why do you keep moving away from me? Have I done something wrong?"

"No, Star," answered Robin in a low voice. He reached out a shaky hand to her. "I just- aahh!" Robin cut off with a ghostly moan. Starfire watched, stunned, as Robin was thrown to ground by some invisible force. As she reached down, she froze at the sight of him glowing red. When he got up, he stared at her, the white on his mask now a deathly red. he spoke, but it was not he who spoke. The voice was not his own. This voice was cold, chilling, dark, and uninviting.

"GO AWAY. LEAVE ME ALONE. I WANT NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN NOTHING MORE THAN A BURDEN TO ME ALL THIS TIME, AN INTERFERENCE. BE GONE! "

At the exclaimation Starfire's eyes popped open and she bolted upright in her bed. Tears were in her eyes.

* * *

Raven sat on her bed and stared out of her glass wall. What could possibly be wrong with Robin? _Even if it is the orbs, _she thought. _How could they possibly be so concentrated to only one exact side of his body? _No matter how much she thought it over, she could fathom no way that any ailment could be so precise. _This isn't natural, _she thought. _It can't be real. _Her eyes popped open the thought. _Could it really all be an illusion? _She shook her head sharply. _There's no way this is an illusion. Cyborg charted it on the computers, Beast Boy's animal instincts sensed it. _She closed her eyes again. _If it were an illusion, s_he thought carefully, _I would've sensed it. Whatever this is, it is real and I need to find what the cause is as soon as possible._

She sat in silence for a while. Suddenly the thought occured to her that maybe she _should _try to contact Robin mentally. It was worth a shot, and she was getting desperate. She prepared herself to do so.

"So you're Raven," said a strange voice.

Raven looked around. "Who's there?"

A short giggle answered her demand. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, my master won't be pleased if you interfere, Raven."

"Who are you?" Raven tried to sense where the intruder was but she could pick up nothing. It was like she was talking to air.

"Nobody important," answered the voice casually. "Just a curious observer- or is the word observant? Oh well, I never was good at English."

This irritated the dark Titan. This trifling intruder was wasting her time. "Look, whoever you are, wherever you are, get out and leave me alone!"

A mocking sniffle answered this exclamation. "You don't have to shout," said the voice. "If you wanted me to leave you should've just said so in the first place."

Raven stifled an angry growl, forcing herself to ignore the intruder who was obviously toying with her.

"See ya later, Raven," the voice called as tiny footsteps stalked off in the distance.

Raven pushed the events from her mind as she searched for Robin's essence. She closed her eyes and faded into the shadow of a raven which passed through her door and glided down the hall. The phantom bird took many shortcuts, passing through walls and floors until it arrived at the doors of the medical bay. It waited a moment, as if taking a few deep breaths before diving in for it's mission. After passing hesistantly through the sealed doors, the ghostly raven came to float a few feet away from Robin, who lay completely still in the bed- as if in a trance. As it glided toward him, it began to feel a tension, like an unknown force, pushing it back. As it struggled to get closer, it banged into an invisible force-field that seemed to surround the pale Boy Wonder. _Come on, _Raven thought back in her room. She concentrated as hard as she could, using all her mental energy to ram at the unseen barrier. "AAAAHHH!" Raven's scream rang out through the tower as her spirit was thrown from the bay with so much force that the phantomed raven flew through two sets of walls and floors, flying past the crying form of Starfire before slamming back into her body, throwing her from her bed into her bookcase. After giving herself a moment to calm down, she pushed herself up from the heap of spellbooks that pinned her to the ground and rubbed her head. _Something or someone, _she thought, _doesn't want me in there. _"And that someone," she said straightening herself and walking to her door, "Is the one who has the answers to this whole dilema."

Raven walked the few feet from her room and came to stop in front of Starfire's door. She knocked softly on the door and called for the Tameranean princess. "Do not come in, please," Starfire answered in small voice.

"It's Raven, Starfire," she answered nonchalantly.

"Come in then, friend," Starfire answered while staring out the floor.

Raven phased into a pool of black that slid under the door and emerged from the floor in front of the Starfire. She noticed the tears almost immediately. "What's wrong, Starfire? If you're worried about Robin, he's fine. He lying still in the bed in the medial bay. Cyborg and Beast Boy are still in there with him."

At mention of their leader's name, Starfire burst into tears. "Oh Raven," she started in a choked voice, "Robin does not like me any more."

"Hmm?" Raven sat down on the edge of Starfire's bed.

"I saw him. At one moment, he said thank you for what we were doing to help him. Then he went into much pain. I- I tried to help him bu- but-" She began to cry.

"But what?"

"He got up...and told me that he wanted me to leave him alone- He said he did not want an-anything...to do with...me...anymore. He said I was a burden..." She trailed off, unable to continue.

Out of character for the normally unemotional titan, Raven got up and hugged Starfire. "That wasn't him talking," she said.

Starfire sniffed. "But- how can you know? He was there, there was no one else there."

"Did it sound like him?"

Starfire shook her head. "The voice I heard was nothing like his own at all. It sounded of evil. But it was him, looking at me, talking to me."

"It's wasn't him," Raven repeated firmly.

The alien redhead turned tear-filled eyes to look at her cloaked teammate. "How can you be sure? I mean, he was there. I saw him. His body. His black hair with the spikes and his face. Who else could it have been?"

"Was there anything different him? The way he looked?"

"Well," Starfire sniffed, "There was red light shining from his body. His mask was no longer white, it was a very dark red color."

"Maybe he was possessed," Raven suggested. "I sensed- I mean, I'm sure it wasn't him." She didn't want to make Sarfire feel worse by telling of her personal fears with the situation- things were bad enough as it is. "Starfire, look at me. You're Robin's best friend. He likes you no matter what. That may have been his body but that wasn't him. The real Robin -the one we all know and are working to save- was overtaken by someone more powerful. You have to be strong, it's the only way to get Robin back." She walked to the door then stopped. "Besides," she said as she pulled up her hood, "You're the only one who can save him." She opened the door and left.

Starfire gazed after her. "I am...the only one...who can...save him...?"

* * *

Back in the medical bay, Beast boy was edgy.

"Yo, BB," called Cyborg from his place at the computer. "Will you settle down? I'm nervous enough without your constant pattering everywhere."

Beast Boy returned from the frantic little puppy form to his human self. "Dude, I can't help it," he answered, still looking around like an alert watchdog. "I can't shake the feeling that there's someone in here."

"Well, of course someone's in here!" Cyborg shouted. "Me and Robin are in here. Sorry, BB, but I think you're just worked up about the situation."

"No, dude," Beast Boy insisted. "My animal instincts are going crazy! Someone who doesn't belong here is in the Tower- in this room!"

"Are you sure...?" Cyborg asked uneasily, finding himself looking around a little.

"I'm positive, man. They're around here somewhere. I can almost smell 'em."

"Well, sniff 'em out then, BB," Cyborg responded.

"It's weird though," Beast Boy said.

"What?"

"It's like I can sense the person's there but..."

"But what?" "Cyborg looked over at his anxious green friend and teammate.

"But it's like the person's not there, like, I know they're there but I can't smell them. It's like they're not here at all." Beast Boy closed his eyes and turned to his half-metal comrade.

Cyborg just stared at him. "Dude, I don't even understand what you just said!"

"You don't have to," A smooth female voice answered. "I hate making a cute guy wonder."

* * *

**"She takes sooooooo long to update sometimes I forget about the story when she finally does!" I am soooooooo sorry! I'm really making an effort to get these done faster! I only write when I'm on the website, but that's gonna change. I hate keeping you guys waiting so long!**

**I really need you guys help on this. Whatever questions you have, don't hesitate to ask so I can answer them. All comments and constructive criticism will be gratefully excepted. **


	7. Chapter 7: The Intruder's Mission

***peeks out nervously* ummm...hi. i'm back after 6 months! (i am SOOOOOOOOOO sorry. i had no idea that it was that long) So here's chapter 7.**

**Disclaimer: i do not own teen titans. I do, however, own the idea for this story, this story, the young girl, and her master.  
**

* * *

"You think I'm cute?" Beastboy asked, looking in the direction the female voice came from.

"Sure," the teen female replied from the shadows. "I like guys with a _wild _side."

Beastboy's face lit up. Cyborg smacked him across the back of his head.

"Hey!" beastboy glared at the half-metal teen. "What gives?"

"Did you forget she's not supposed to be in here?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh yea...who are you anyway?" Beastboy asked the girl.

"Just a little birdie who lost her way.." the girl answered coolly.

"Then let me help you with that," Cyborg said walking over to her. He pointed. "There's the door..."

The girl laughed. "You're funny, Metal-Man," she said.

"I wasn't tryin to be," Cyborg replied, annoyed. "Now get outta my tower before I have to force you out."

The girl held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, big boy. No need for violence. I'll show myself out."

"No," Cyborg said. "I'll escort you."

"No need," the girl replied casually. With that, she walked out the door of the medical bay and closed it behind her.

"Beastboy, follow her. I don't trust her type." Cyborg nodded at the door. "Make sure she leaves the tower."

BB nodded and raced out the door- only to find no trace of the girl.

"She's gone!" he exclaimed.

"Well whadda you mean she's gone?" Cyborg demanded. "She just walked out the door!"

"Dude, I checked. There's no trace of her anywhere. It's like she just... vanished into thin air."

"There's no way that's possible," Cyborg insisted. He opened his mouth to continue but his green partner's wide eyes told him that she was really gone.

"Should we tell the others?" Beastboy asked as he came back inside.

"No." Cyborg answered, returning to his place at the computers. "I wouldn't wanna worry the girls, especially Starfire. She's taken this the hardest out of all of us."

* * *

The girl wandered through the halls of the Titan Tower, reviewing her mental checklist.

Talk to the Titans: Check.

Well, un-check that. She hadn't really _talked _to _all _of the titans. Only the two guys. _Well, _she thought. _I did talk with the boys and Raven, but I have to try again with Starfire. Master would not be pleased if I didn't carry out his wishes exactly. _

"What does she mean, I am the only one who can save him?" she heard voice wonder aloud. She disappeared again and found herself in the corner of a girl's room. It had to be Starfire's: the big purple bed and closet full of purple outfits and purple boots gave it away.

"Save who from what?" She asked mindlessly.

Starfire looked up. "Who said that?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, or barge in for that matter," The dark-haired girl replied.

"Who are you?" Starfire asked, surprised that she felt not even a bit of threat from the unseen intruder.

"A curious butterfly who wants to talk with you. I promise I can keep a secret," the girl answered.

"Why can I not see you, stranger?" Starfire asked, rising from her bed.

"Sorry, I uhhh...kinda can't be seen..."

"Are you a ghost?" Starfire asked.

_She asks alot of questions._ "I'm not a ghost, I just can't show myself right now. I promise you'll meet me very soon, though."

"Are you welcome here? Do my friends know you're here?"

"I came to talk to you," the girl answered,evading the alien princess's questions."I'm a friend."

"Now is not the best of times," Starfire told the stranger cautiously. "My best friend is very sick."

"Maybe I can help," the girl said. "You were talking about you saving him."

"Yes, I was told that I can save my friend from his torment," Starfire answered.

The girl nodded. "This is very true. I can tell you more about the decision you have to make, but first, answer me this: how much do want to save your friend?"

"Oh, very, very much," Starfire replied.

"How much are you willing to give up, to sacrifice for his freedom?"

"I am willing to do whatever it takes." Starfire said emotionally.

"Do you mean that?" the girl asked. "Cause you may have to come pretty close."

"What do you mean?" Starfire questioned.

"I can't say much, but I can tell you this: You must determine whether or not you are willing to give up everything for his sake. Then, and only then can you make this huge decision. Which, by the way, may change the lives of you and your friends _forever._"

_Forever? Everything?_ "How can you know these things?" Starfire called for her strange visitor, but she was gone.

Ok, now she could check talk to the Titans off of her list.

* * *

The girl appeared in the empty front room of the titans' home. "That's one of the biggest t.v's I've ever seen," she commented before the deep blue diamond began to form around her. She smiled as she felt herself pass through the metal walls of the tower. As she came to the edge of the island on which the T-shaped building sat, the diamond disappeared and rested her just before the water.

_Time to try something new,_a voice said to her.

"Like what?" she asked the voice.

_Remember what Master said before, _the voice prodded.

"What master said before..." She thinks back to when she had discussed her having powers with her master for the first time.

_"When you get to the water, just keep walking," he said._

_At that time the spiky hair had come back. "Master? I don't mean to go against you in any way but I can't walk on water!"_

_"I know," the man replied. "You're going to walk over it."_

_"But master I have no powers except for what you have seen."_

_"Yes you have no powers but she does. Your other self harnesses your hidden abilities. Trust her, and remember, keep walking."_

She took a deep breath. "Here goes, master."

She took a step forward and half-screamed/half-gasped as she felt and thin but solid ground beneath her feet. She continued walking over the water on a silvery-blue bridge that only she could see. She gained confidence with every step and soon found her self advancing without fear.

Soon she was taking the last step over the dark water and standing on the literal edge of the city. _I did it! _The girl thought gleefully. _These powers are amazing! _She ran down the street hidden in the shadows, spikes flowing in wind. She hurried to her master.

* * *

The female titans left their rooms and met in the hall. Without saying a word, they knew their intentions were the same: go to the medical bay and help Robin. As they passed the window, Starfire saw the wake of a colorful sunrise. She motioned for Raven to look also.

"Robin loves sunrises," They said simultaneously. They looked at each and smiled for a bit. As soon as the smiles came, they left, replaced by a look of sheer determination from both alien girls.

"I want to make sure Robin sees many more sunrises," Starfire said, her feet lifting from the ground as she began to fly.

"So do I, Starfire," Raven said, joining her in the air.

The two girls quickly glided to the medical bay and slipped through the doors.

"How is he?" Raven asked.

"Well, he stopped changing colors a while back," Beastboy said.

"That is good, yes?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"I think so," Cyborg replied turning from the computers. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to help," Raven said. "I want to try to reach Robin mentally again. I was blocked by some kind of barrier the last time. I was in my room; I'm going to try to see if I get better results being in the same room with him."

Starfire stepped up to the side of Robin's bed and looked down at him. The guys thought she was going to cry, but to their surprise, she fired a extra bright, extra powerful starbolt directly at his chest. It was so accurate, if it were a gunshot, it would've gone right through his heart. The look on her face was one of sheer determination and righteous fury.

"Robin, I promise you, I will do WHATEVER it takes to see you well again and free of torment," She vowed, raising her right hand (which she had shot him with) and pulling it across her eyes and snapping it to her side in the gesture of a Tamernean vow.

Seeing The alien princess do this, hearing her words, the remaining Titans found a new fire of determination in their hearts to help their leader. They shared one jointed goal:

Cure Robin of his ailment- find who's responsible- MAKE THEM PAY.

* * *

The loyal apprentice sat at her master's feet relating her mission accomplishments. She told him how her powers proved themselves and how she talked to the titans, replaying the conversation she had with Starfire. She also told him how the titans were trying to help their leader and how she had found herself in the minds of the female titans for a short while.

Through all this, her master was silent, listening with his wolf/owl eyes closed. When she was done, he turned to her and opened his eyes slowly. She looked up apprehensively. Was he not pleased? Had she not completed her mission? What did she mess up?

"You have done well, young one."

The girl looked up, surprised. "Thank you, master."

"While you were speaking, I was gathering trails of your mind." Noticing his apprentice's expected look of confusion, he continued. "Your encounter with the minds of the female titans has given me insight as to their inner beings. You did a noteworthy job. Your responses to each of the situations was well placed. You have united them."

The girl became downcast.

"You are troubled at my saying," her master noted.

"You said that you wanted to separate them, severe their bonds."

"That is, in essence, the goal," the young man said.

"I have failed, master. You said I united them. I'm very sorry." The girl hung her head in shame and disappointment.

"You have not failed," her master said, bending down and lifting her face to see his golden eyes. "They are united to fall."

"United to fall? What do you mean?" Now she was more confused than ever.

"Robin is down," her master said. "The other titans are focused on curing him, with no regard for themselves."

"What are you saying?"

"Raven has not assumed a position of leadership," her master continued. "It's time to visit the Teen Titans."

* * *

**i stayed up until 3:30 in the morning writing and rewriting this (the site kept keeping me out for some reason). hope you liked! read and review please! any questions you have i'll try to answer. if you feel like i missed something or there's gap somewhere, feel free to let me know. as always ideas are always welcome. chow for now!**

***~cascadedkiwi~*  
**


	8. Chapter 8: The Apprentice's Story

**Alright, for those of you who want it... here's chapter 8.**

* * *

The Apprentice's Story- What's your name?

"Master, the sun is rising," the girl said looking up through the high window in the far corner of her room. "May I go watch?"

Her master nodded from the shadows, his golden eyes shining brightly in the darkness. He watched as she happily ran past, taking care to keep his body cloaked in the darkness as she opened the tunnel that led to the outside.

The young apprentice stepped out and climbed onto the roof of the building to sit in her favourite spot to watch the great ball of fire rise into the sky. She watched in awe as the sky shone with the bright yellow and orange of the star that shines in the daytime. _This really is beautiful, _she thought. _I wonder why master never offered to watch it with me. He really seems to enjoy looking at the moon though, especially when it's full. His favorite was the lunar eclipse. He was expressively happy that night. _She leaned back and closed her eyes as she remembered the warm smile her master had graced her with that night. Even his golden wolf/owl eyes seemed to smile then. That was the only time she had witnessed such emotional openess from him.

_He's always so busy in the daytime, _she mused. _It's when he does most of his work. I wouldn't want to disturb him for something so trivial as a sunrise. _A light morning breeze blew through her dark hair. _I really would like to enjoy sometime in the day with him. He never seems to have any time to relax. He's always going over plans or fixing our home. _

"Not that I'm not grateful," she insisted out loud. She lowered her voice and hugged her knees. "He did rescue me after all, and I have devoted my life to him for it. But despite my good knowledge that Master has no use for such childish things I do find myself sometimes wishing that he would spend more personal time with me." _I do get a bit lonely sometimes..._

**-That night-**

The girl and her master emerged onto the dark back roads of Jump City. With his back to the moonlight, her master had the appearance and air of a great, dark, human-shaped wolf. He walked down the road with her following behind, feeling an eerie familiarity to their surroundings. His steps were silent, like a hunter stalking its prey. The girl took quick little steps to keep up with him- then stopped suddenly.

The young man paused and looked back at his apprentice who had stopped dead in her tracks. "No, no, I... I can't..." she was whimpering, shaking her head. "Not here, not here," she kept repeating.

"Here..." her master wondered to himself. _Is this the place? The place she escaped from before I took her in? _He watched her a bit longer, shivering with fright. The building was dark and foreboding, but did not possess the warm darkness which he enjoyed and his apprentice was used to. "Is this the place?" he asked gently, walking back to her.

She nodded hesitantly. "I'm sorry, Master," she said in shaky voice. "But I can't go past this place. The memories are to vivid. It terrifies me." She dropped to her knees and hid her face in his long coat. She could still hear the whirs of tiny drills and feel the pricks of needles in her arms. The pain of the restraints came back to her arms and legs and the bubbles of chemicals rang in her ears. In her mind's eye she saw the glint of metal, the light bouncing off the surgical knives and scapels. "No! Please! Please, stop!" She squeezed her eyes closed in an attempt to shut out the bright lights that shone above her eyes.

"Then we will go another way," he replied graciously. "Tomorrow night," he added, helping her up. He took her by the hand and, like a father leads his child, walked her back to their home. On the way he spoke comforting words to her. "It's ok," he said. "You're free now."

"Free," she repeated slowly to herself. "I'm... free now."

Back in the dark room that served as their home, the girl sat in a corner under her master's large desk hugging her knees. He said nothing against it and took care to keep his legs from going anywhere near her.

"Master," came her soft, hesitant voice from beneath the table.

"Yes," he answered in a low voice.

"I'm sorry," she said, "for causing you to have to come back."

"You have no need to apologize," he assured her. "You did nothing wrong." He put his hands on his knees. "Do you still have nightmares?" he asked.

"I haven't had one in a very long time," she answered. "But I do find myself drifting back there sometimes, when I'm scared or by myself." As soon as the words left her lips her eyes popped open. _Did I really just say that to him? _she thought in shock. She clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her gasp. "I'm sorry, Master," she squeaked. "I didn't mean-"

She stopped as she felt the fabric of his pant leg on her bare foot. She looked up as the young man pushed his chair away from the desk, leaving more than enough room for her to crawl out. She watched to see what esle he would do but he simply sat there, as if waiting for her to make the next move. Slowly, she crept out her hiding place and approached him.

"When do you feel alone?" he asked.

"Not very often," she answered cautiously. "But sometimes, when I'm sitting on the rooftop, I feel like I'm all alone. I'm not saying the I'm ungrateful to you, Master," she added quickly as a safeguard. "It's just-"

"Sometimes you wish I didn't work so much," he finished knowingly. Although she was his apprentice, she had also become as close as- dare I say- family to him. Especially seeing as they both had none of their own. "What were you running from when I found you that night?" he asked.

"What was I..." she said slowly, afraid to let her mind drift back to those horrible mermories that hauted the back door of her mind.

_"Noooo! Stop! Stop! Please!" she screamed._

_The tall man in the white labcoat hovered over her with a needle. "Quit squirming!" he said. "It'll all be over soon. You have genes like none we've ever seen! This'll show us what you can really do."_

_There was the pressure of three pairs of arms on her stomach and the searing pain of needles piercing her arms and legs. "AAAAHHH!" she screamed. Her blood burned in her viens. It was like her insides were made of the hottest fire. Her eyes changed colors glowing first yellow, then orange, and finally settling on a deathly blood red. She broke from her restraints and ripped the needles out of her skin. Blind and bleeding, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her._

"I was part of an experiment- a genetic phenomenon, the men called me. They kept me tied to a metal bed and did excruiatingly painful experiments on me all day long. When you found me, I had been running for two days and finally found my way out of the living nightmare," the girl explained.

"You didn't have any injuries when I saw you," her master said. "You were nothing more than a dirty orphan girl hiding in the alley."

"My body... healed itself somehow," she answered. "I remember the men saying that according to biology, science said that I... I shouldn't exist- on earth anyway. They said that my DNA paved the way for experiments they could never conduct before." She shuddered. "I hated it. There was always bright light shining in my eyes- I'm surprised I'm not the least bit blind."

The young man only nodded, then looked directly at her. "Is that why you welcomed the darkness of the night? The darkness of this place?"

"I guess so," she replied, thinking it over. "The darkness was... comforting. It relieved me somehow."

"Why did you trust me?" It was a sudden question.

The girl looked up. "Pardon me?"

"That night, when I first saw you," he clarified. "Why did you trust me?"

"Why did I... trust you?" the girl repeated. _Is he testing me? _

"You've got nothing to be afraid of," he said, going over to her. "I just want to know why, after what you had just escaped from, would you trust me- or anyone for that matter."

"I... don't know," she answered truthfully. "In all honesty Master I can only say that I guess I felt that I could trust you. You were just the opposite of what I was running from. You were...dark: your clothes, your demeanor, even where you found me. It was as if you embodied everything that I wanted to run to."

Her master nodded. "Now you enjoy both darkness and light," he commented.

"Moreso darkness, sir," the girl agreed. "I do enjoy the sunrise but am most comfortable here- in the dark with you in this room."

"Fawn," her master said in a low voice, causing the girl to look up sharply. He hadn't called her name in such a long time she had almost forgotten what it was.

"Yes, Master?" she answered, afraid that it was a bad sign. _Did I upset him somehow?_

"What do you know me as?" he asked.

"You are my master," the girl answered submissively. "And I address you as such."

"Yes, I am aware of that but what do you know my name as?"

"Your name?" Fawn pondered for a moment. _What _do _I know Master's name as? I've never called him anything but Master before. Come to think of it, did I ever know Master's real name to begin with? I remember he told me the night he took me in but that was so long ago I can't remember what it was._

"You don't remember, do you?" he asked, walking over to the window to gaze at the nearly full moon.

She shook her head.

"I am linked to the moon," he said.

_Linked to the moon?_

"My name is Moonrise," he continued. "And just as it implies I literally rise and fall with the moon itself."

"You rise and fall? With the moon?" Fawn repeated questioningly. "What does that mean?"

"You will see soon enough," he answered, returning to his desk. "For now, you must prepare for our visit to the Titans. Robin's fate now rests in _two _of their alien hands." As Fawn obediently turned and left, the man turned back to his computer screens, two of which zoomed in on the two female Titans. _Get ready girls, whether he lives or dies is up to one of you. _He closed his wolf/owl eyes. "And the fate of your team is up to the other."


	9. Chapter 9: I Want Her

**Before I continue I want to thank all of you who reviewed and are still with me. I know I've been taking a long time to update but I'm working hard to fix that. Here's chapter 9!**

* * *

**The following night...**

"It's time to go."

The master and his apprentice stood on the outskirts of the city, having traveled a completely different route from the the one they had taken the night before. A route far away from the mermory of the girl's former tortured life. Before them stretched the sea that sparkled in the light of the full moon and, in the midst of that sea, a large T-shaped building standing on a rock of an island.

"How will we get over there tonight, Master?" the girl asked.

The young man took a soft, deep breath of the cool night air. "Tonight is a full moon," he commented. "I'll lead the way." He rested his hand on her shoulder. "Close your eyes and trust me," he said.

The girl nodded obediently and did as she was told. She felt the wind pick up beneath them and cool light surrounded her from the waist down. "Master, what's happening?"

"You may open your eyes if you want," he said.

The girl was hesitant. She was sure they were high up in the air, floating over the sea, and the only thing between her and that bottomless blue was her master's power. She dared to peek out of one eye. The sight dumbfounded her. It was as if they were riding on the moonlight itself! Her master seemed to gather the light around them in threads and weave them together to form a sort of moonlight ship that carried them smoothly and silently though the air towards the Titans' home. _This is amazing! Master's powers of moonlight are soothingly cool and... much more stable than my powers. _She watched her master. He showed no fear, only complete natural cofindence of one who trusts his powers as much as he trusts the ground he walks on. He took constant small steps forward, as if to direct the half-moon shaped ship of light forward.

Their feet touched the ground alot quicker than she expected and she stumbled with mere inches of bucking into the young man who walked forward as if he had been walking all along. He looked back out of the corner of his eyes as she steadied herself nervously.

"Look inside," he said, pointing to the window at the bottom of the tower.

Before she could question how she would do so, she watched as moonlight glittered off the four corners of the square glass and begin to gather toward the center, leaving a crystal clear, bright as day view into the lowest level of Titan Tower in its wake.

Inside, the Titans could be seen rummaging in their endeavours to aid their ailing leader. The girl supposed that Starfire had taken their talk to heart and was determined now more than ever to do all in her power to help raise Robin from his bed of affliction. Starfire was raining down green bolts of energy like a record-breaking hailstorm. The young apprentice couldn't help but feel twinge of pity for the alien princess- but she didn't dare show this in front of her master. Raven was floating in a corner meditating. The half-metal tech-genius of the group could be seen sitting in front of a set of computer screens that nearly matched her master's own set in technological advancement. She was impressed. _I didn't noticed that the first time I was there. _The green shape-shifting boy seemed to be playing nurse: doing whatever he was told to the best of his ability and keeping a sharp eye on the powerless patient.

"Let's give them a little warning," her master suggested in a low voice she'd never heard before. Startled by his tone, the apprentice turned to see her master staring at the moon. He seemed hypnotized by its brightness. His normally golden eyes now mirrored the moon's white light and he seemed to be locked in a trance.

"Mas...ter?" She called timidly.

"Place your left hand on the window and stretch your other hand toward the moon," he said.

She hesitated just a second before she moved to obey, turning slowly to looked at the young man carefully. White light had never looked more deadly. It shone from his eyes and mouth, between his fingers and from under his coat. The very fur that outlined the sleeves and hem of his full length coat seemed to barely be able to contain the light. And his hair. His hair is what frightened her the most. His normally wolf-gray locks shone a dazzling white and blew about as if he were standing on top of a tornado. There not not even slightest breeze blowing.

"Master?" She called again.

"Stretch towards the moon, apprentice," he repeated again in a nightly voice.

She did he commanded. With her left hand on the bottom window of Titan Tower (which was still clear as glass) and her right stretched skyward, she waited to see what would happen.

* * *

**Inside Titan tower**

Cyborg and Beastboy turned at the sound of Raven dropping to the floor with a hard thud. Beastboy ran over to her.

"Raven! Are you okay?" He asked as he reached out a hand to help her up. Surprisingly, she accepted it. "What happened?" he asked.

"I was interrupted," she responded, rubbing her head.

"What did you see?" Cyborg asked.

"I was floating in a sea of the deepest pitch black I had ever seen," she said. "I couldn't even seen my hand in front of my face! It was like I almost couldn't even tell that I really existed. Then I saw the white dot. I started to go towards it but then I noticed that it seemed to be pulling me in. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't resist. I couldn't pull away."

"Don't go to the light, Rae!" Beastboy shouted hysterically. "NEVER go towards the light!"

Raven shot him a look that shut him up instantly. "When I got really close to it," she continued, "a huge blast of light shot towards me. It felt like a brick house was thrown on me."

"That's when you fell," Cyborg clarified.

"A white light..." Beastboy droned, his eyes becoming wide.

"Beastboy?" Cyborg asked, turning to the green shape-shifter. Beastboy's eyes were wider than anyone had ever seen them before. And they were white. Completely white. He had no pupils, just large white spaces where his green eyes used to be.

"The light is calling..." Beastboy droned on, turning to exit the medical room. He wobbled out the door and through the front room reapeating, "The light is calling... The light is calling..."

"Stay here with those two," Raven said to Cyborg, motioning to Starfire whose was still blasting Robin who had started screaming again when Raven dropped. "I'll go see what's wrong with Beastboy."

"And fix it!" Cyborg called after her as she ran out. To himself he added quietly, "We don't need any other Titans down."

"Beastboy!" Raven called as she ran after him. She followed him down the hall and to the window where he stood staring.

"The light..." he droned. "The light..."

"What light?" Raven asked, then took a good look at the window. _What's going on? _She thought as she went closer to the window. _I can't see outside. It's just...white light. _

Beastboy reached toward the light, touching the glass gently with his fingers. Raven watched as, slowly but surely, Beastboy's touching turned into something more. He was going _into _the light.

"Beastboy!" Raven called out with no response. She grabbed what was left of him -his left hand- and pulled as hard as she could. Nothing. In fact, she found herself being pulled in behind him.

* * *

Beasyboy blinked twice, his green eyes and normal vision returning. "Whoa, what happened?" he asked as he looked around, sheilding his extra keen eyes from the white light that surrounded him.

He turned to the sound of a familiar laughter. _There's that weird sense again, _he thought. "Hello? Anyone there?" He looked around. There was nothing but white. "I know something's there. I can sense it…but I can't smell it." _Maybe it's that girl again, _he thought, reaching his hand out in front of him. He was surprised when his hand stopped on a flat, solid surface. _A wall? _Before he could properly register the thought, the wall faded away and left his hand pressing gently against another hand, one smaller than his gloved one.

Beastboy stopped and looked at his hand questioningly, focusing on the feeling of the other hand against his. It was soft and gentle, like that of a young girl. Tentatively, he pushed against it, startled when the hand moved back under the pressure. He pushed some more, noticing that his hand felt like it was passing through water. The other hand was still pressed against his, seemingly pulling him, guiding him through the white. He glanced at his hand for a moment then gasped. It wasn't there; it has disappeared into the white. Slowly but surely he was being pulled through the white. For some reason, he was not afraid and went along willingly. He felt himself disappear through the watery white, following an unseen hand.

* * *

"Beastboy!" Raven called, looking around. _This white light again, _she thought. _It's so bright it hurts. It feels like something's pushing on me from all sides, like gravity has something against me. _She walked forward, trying to sense Beastboy's presence. She had lost hold of him the moment she had passed completely into the white.

She turned sharply to the sound of young girl's voice. "Raven," the voice called, just as it did when she was trying to reach Robin from her room. "Raven, my master is waiting for you. Hurry, Raven. Hurry. He needs to see you right away."

"You again!" Raven said to the voice. "Who are you?"

"You're gonna meet me soon, Raven. Just come quickly. Your green friend is already here."

"What did you do to Beastboy?" Raven asked.

"I haven't done anything," the voice insisted. "I can't do anything."

Raven began to run forward, holding her right hand out in front of her to check for obstacles. Soon her hand came in contact with a wall. _A glass wall? It's so cold. _She moved her hand around, examining the unseen wall with both hands to see if there was any way around it. There wasn't. She pushed on the wall. It wavered a bit, like jello. She eased her hand through, finding it fairly easy. But, she noticed with suspicion, she couldn't pull her hand back. She pushed herself through, closing her eyes against the feeling of passing through the jelly-like glass.

* * *

"Cyborg?" Starfire called over Robin's screams, looking up from where she sat resting on the floor.

"Yeah, Star?" Cyborg answered, not looking away from the computer. "What's the matter?"

"Where are Friends Raven and Beastboy?" she asked.

"Raven went with Beastboy to check on something," he answered vaguely. He didn't want to worry her further by telling her about Beastboy weirding out.

"Is Friend Raven alright?" Starfire asked. "I heard when she fell."

"She's just fine," Cyborg assured her. _I just hope Beastboy is, too._

"What is that?" Starfire questioned as she got up, her eyes roaming the computer screens.

"What is what?" Cyborg asked, still not looking away from the computer.

"There, on the outside on our home," she answered, startling him by being so close to him when she answered.

"Point to what you're talking about," he said after regaining his composure. He watched as she pointed to a smaller screen that sat in the lower left corner of the huge computer screen. He typed in a command and the screen expanded to cover most of the computer screen.

"What _is_ that?" Cyborg exclaimed, his eyes growing wide. On the screen they could see the ground just outside of Titan Tower, by the bottom window. Right next to the window there was a girl standing beside a seemingly hypnotized Beastboy, and further down from them, Raven was crouched on the ground.

"Raven!" Starfire exclaimed.

"What's that light over there?" Cyborg asked, typing in command in a venture to answer his own question. The screen view zoomed out to reveal the source of the strange white light.

"It is…" Starfire began.

"A man," Cyborg continued, typing furiously. He glanced up at the computer screen again then stopped suddenly. "She looks different from before," he said to himself, "but I'm sure it's her." The screen zoomed in close on the girl who seemed frightened for some reason. Cyborg nodded affirmatively. "It's definitely her."

"You know that girl?" Starfire asked, looking closely at the girl.

"I've seen her before, in a different form," Cyborg answered.

"So she is like Friend Beastboy?"

"I don't think so," Cyborg answered.

Starfire cocked her head like a confused puppy. "Should we go and check it out?" she asked.

Cyborg looked back at Robin, who had gone back to shaking violently and screaming every now and then. Then he looked up at the computer screen. It was so strange. That girl was there, Raven was down, Beastboy was out of it, and that white light. That man-shaped white light. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave Robin alone, but he also wanted to see what was going on outside.

"Cyborg?" Starfire called, glancing back at Robin then back the computer screen and the half-metal teen in the chair.

"Starfire, can you go see what's going on out there?" Cyborg said to her. "I'll keep an eye on things in here. I'll be monitoring you on the computer. If you need any help, call me. Ok?"

Starfire nodded and flew out of the room.

* * *

"Starfire," a soft voice called to her as she flew down the hall.

"Yes?" She answered questioningly, slowing down but not stopping in her flight. "Who is there?"

"Get ready. Starfire," the voice said. "It's almost time."

"Time for what, stranger?" Starfire asked, recognizing the voice as the one that she had spoken with in her room.

"Time to make your decision," the voice said. "To save Robin."

"Robin can be saved tonight?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"Yes," the voice answered. "And it is all up to you."

That got Starfire more determined than ever. "No matter what it takes, Robin," she promised as she flew as fast she could to the front door, "I will save you."

* * *

Just as Starfire flew through the doors and around to the side of the tower where everyone was, the apprentice dropped to her knees from shaking so much. Her hand was still glued to the window and she obediently held her other hand out toward the sky.

"Master!" The apprentice called in frightened voice.

"Ah," the young man breathed, turning around to face his teenaged audience. "Everyone I need is here."

"Who are you?" Starfire called out. "What are you doing here?"

"Starfire," the young man said, slowly coming down from his place in the air. When his feet touched the ground, the light faded away, leaving behind his original form for all to see. He was tall, with skin a shade lighter than Cyborg's. He was lean and slightly muscular, with a faded orange tank top showing off his chest. He wore long black pants over a pair of sleek black hunting boots. Over the entire outfit he had a full-length black overcoat lined with artic fox's summer fur. The mixed tuffs of black, gray, white, brown, and orange accentated his wolf-gray hair that hung in a thick spacy bang over his eyes. Those intense wolf/owl eyes completed his nightly look, giving him a dark, mysterious air. He stood with his feet slightly apart and his arm were only slightly loose at his sides. He couldn't be more than 19.

"You!" Raven shouted, feeling a strange chill run down her spine as as he looked at her. _Who is he? _she thought. _Why does he seem so familiar to me? _"What's this wierd feeling?" She asked as she pushed herself up from the ground. "Like my powers are being suppressed..."

"You're all quite worried about your leader, aren't you?" the young man asked in his normal voice.

His apprentice sighed with relief. "He's back to normal now," she said to herself, standing.

The man looked over at her questioningly. "Apprentice?"

"Coming, Master," She replied like girl responding to the call of her father.

At the sound of her voice, the two female Titans gasped.

_It's her, _Raven thought.

"Stranger?" Starfire called.

From beside her master, the girl nodded slightly.

"They recognize your voice?" her master questioned. She nodded.

"It was you," Starfire and Raven said together in completely different tones for completely different reasons.

"What did you do to Robin?" Raven asked the young man angrily.

"Please, stop!" Starfire pleaded. "How can he be saved? Do you have the cure?" She directed her pleas to the girl.

The apprentice shook her head slowly then looked up at her master.

"There is no... cure, per say," the young man replied, "But I do have the power to restore him to his full strength."

"You can do that?" Starfire asked hoepfully. "Oh, would you please? We would be most grateful."

"I do require something in return," the young man said.

"Something like what?" Beastboy asked having come out of his daze.

"It must be given willingly or I cannot help you," the young man stated, "And I assure you I am the only person who can."

"To save Robin, whatever this thing you desire is, I will get it for you," Starfire said. Beastboy nodded fearfully in agreement and Raven complied with a hard stare.

"What do you want?" Beastboy asked.

The young man closed his eyes. "Teen Titans," he said as he raised his hand slowly, "In return for your leader's total physical recovery..." he opened his eyes and pointed, "I want... her."

* * *

**Wow! I honestly didn't plan for it to be that long. This has got to be one of the longest chapters i've ever written! Anyway, who do you think it is? post in your review or i won't upload the next chapter ;) please review and thanks for reading!**

***~cascadedkiwi~***


	10. Chapter 10: Hurt For Healing

"What?" Cyborg exclaimed, jumping up front his seat in front of the computer. "That guy must be crazy!"

"NO!" Robin shouted from the bed. "NO! NO! Don't let them take her!"

"Robin, that guy's not taking anyone," Cyborg assured the shaking Boy Wonder. "Not as long as I'm here." He ran out of the room, initiating a high-tech security system to protect Robin from his arm as the door closed behind him. _Even if someone was fool enough to try to break in, this should take care of them. _He powered down the hall as fast as he could.

"You must come willingly," The man was explaining as Cyborg came around the corner like a speeding car, "or he won't be saved."

"What happens otherwise?" Raven asked testily.

"He dies." The young man answered in a definite tone.

The apprentice looked fearfully at her master. _Would you really... kill him like that, master? _she thought. _You wouldn't, would you? You're not a murderer, master. Please don't give me a reason to doubt your intentions. _She looked up as she heard someone step forward.

"I will go willingly."

"No!" Beastboy and Cyborg shouted together.

"You don't have to do this," Raven said.

"I do," Starfire said, standing straight and tall, her emerald eyes burning with determination.

"Starfire!"

Everyone turned at the sound of the weak outburst to see a pale Robin come limping around the corner. No gloves, no boots, no cape- he had come straight from the medical bay. The pain radiated from his face as he made his way towards them.

"Robin!" Beastboy ran over to help him, putting Robin's arm over his own shoulder. "What are you doing out of bed?" Beastboy asked him.

Robin shook his head and groaned. "Starfire!" he called again, unable to say anything else. Even with Beastboy's help every step sent shocks of pain through every bone, nerve, and muscle of his body. But he kept inching forward.

"Do you not wish to be freed, Robin?" The young man asked.

"Starfire," Robin said yet again, softly, weakly, reaching out to her.

Starfire looked back at him and smiled. "Do not worry, Robin," she said with assurance. "You will be cured very soon." She turned back to the face the man and his apprentice.

"You agree to come with me willingly?" The man asked her.

Starfire nodded. "Yes."

"And you are willing to give up everything you know?"

Starfire cringed for a moment. _Everything that I know? My friends, my home, fighting the crime, and having fun with them? _In the midst of this twinge of doubt, an image popped into her head. It was a picture of her friends. Robin, Beastboy, and Cyborg playing videogames on the couch; Raven sitting in a corner hiding a smile behind the book she was reading at the boys' childish antics. Then another image took over that one: Robin strapped to a bed, shaking, screaming, flailing, glowing the hurtful orange color on one side and flashing changing colors on the other side. She closed her eyes and opened them, "For Robin's health and freedom from this terrible pain," she replied, "yes."

"You are the only one strong enough to handle this," the young man stated. He handed something to his apprentice.

She took it and timidly approached Cyborg. In her eyes he now seemed to be a great, menacing, monster robot. _He probably wants to kill me right now, _she thought as he looked down at her, his red eye glowing with deathly rage and his human eye boring a bullet hole through her forehead. Fearful and trembling, she held the item out in her hands towards him with her head bowed and her eyes squeezed shut.

"What is this?" Cyborg asked in a harsh voice, scaring her even more.

Her whole body flinched noticeably before she answered. "An an-antivi-r-rus," she stammered in a small voice.

"A what?" Cyborg demanded, annoyed at her babbling.

"An antivirus," she said again, more clearly this time, but still frightened. "To destroy the probes in your leader's body."

"An antivirus?" Cyborg asked, analyzing the computer chip with his bionic eye. _She's right, _Cyborg realized. The components of the chip were specially designed to take out whatever was in the probes and shut them down completely.

"Well, uh, thanks," Cyborg mumbled. "I guess."

The apprentice nodded quickly and hurriedly ran back to her master's side.

"As for the biological half of his ailment," her master said loud enough for everyone to hear. He raised his arms with his hands spread. His hands glowed that menacing white.

Everyone turned to the sound of two male teenaged screams. They watched as Beastboy was thrown to the ground off of a glowing white Robin. Robin's scream of pain turned into a moan that sounded like his very breath was being drawn out of him.

At that moment, Starfire gasped as she began to glow white. The light was cool but it burned intensely all over. She began to scream but the sound was cut off as if someone was ramming a waterfall of air down her throat. She began to gasp heavily as if trying to take it all in.

"Starfire!" Raven shouted, but she couldn't do anything. _That cursed light! _she thought. _It suppressing my powers. I can barely think straight!_

_Are we just gonna let him take Starfire like that? _Beastboy wondered helplessly along with his two remaining healthy comrades.

_I hate to admit it, _Cyborg thought.

_But there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop him from taking her, _Raven thought reluctantly.

They watched together as, floating in the air, Starfire went from glowing white to flashing colors just as Robin had- except her whole body was in the rainbow act. She screamed and shouted, fidgeting in the air, supposedly looking for something to bang on.

Robin got up from the ground, finding his body perfectly intact. He stood to his feet cautiously, expecting to feel pain anywhere at any second. Nothing. He felt perfectly fine. In fact, this was the best he had felt in months. He looked around. Beastboy was on the ground, Cyborg was standing clutching something in a tight fist, and Raven looked like she was ready to jump on someone. He supposed it was the guy they were all staring at. There was a young girl standing beside him with large eyes the color of the night sky and spiky, fluffy hair. He looked up just in time to see Starfire scream one last time before falling gently into the waiting arms of the young man. _Starfire?_

"Take care, Titans," the man said in a formal tone. He and his apprentice then stepped back into a white, oval-shaped portal that appeared behind them. It grew in size as it swallowed them, then dimmed and shrank out of sight.

"What just happened?" Robin asked, looking at the sullen teenage faces of his friends for his friends for an answer.

Cyborg looked at the item in his hand then left without a word. Beastboy stared at the place where the man had been standing, seemingly at a lost for word or deed. Robin directed his questioning look to Raven. She shook her head and replied, "That was you being healed."


End file.
